Terps Stifled by The Mount, Fall 3-2

COLLEGE PARK, Md. –Five Mt. St. Mary’s pitchers combined to hold Maryland to five hits and stranded 17 base runners as the Terps dropped a one-run affair, 3-2, to the Mountaineers Wednesday night at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.

Maryland (20-11) left the bases loaded in the fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth unable to deliver the much needed hit in each inning. The Mount’s Andrew Clow delivered the decisive blow for the Mountaineers (9-11) with a two-out, two-RBI single in the seventh.

"We had that one bad inning where we couldn't finish that hitter,” said head coach John Szefc. “The difference in the game was that their three hitter got a hit when they needed it and we didn't. The pitching on both sides was very good."

Mt. St. Mary’s starter Scott Nickerson held the Terps to three hits in five innings of work to earn his first victory of the season. Four Mountaineer pitchers combined in relief to hold Maryland to two hits over the final four innings with Nick Riley working the last two frames for his third save of the season.

Terrapin starter Bobby Ruse turned in three innings of one-hit shutout baseball, while closer Kevin Mooney worked a perfect eighth and ninth innings striking out four of the six batters he faced.

The Mount scored first with one run in the sixth on three singles. With runners at first and second and two outs , Ryan Owens hit a slow chopper back up the middle, which could not be handled and allowed Andrew Frazier to score from second.

In the seventh, the Mount took a three-lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, Clow shot a single to right field to plate two runs.

The Terps answered in the bottom half of the inning when Kyle Convissar worked a five-pitch walk to force home Michael Montville, but left three runners stranded. Maryland loaded the bases in the bottom of the eight behind three walks and couldn’t deliver the timely hit.

In the ninth, a Blake Schmit single, a walk to Jose Cuas and a hit-by-pitch on Tim Lewis loaded the bases. Kevin Martir brought the second run home on a sacrifice fly to right, but the Terps were unable to tie the contest as the Mountaineers held on for the win.

Maryland hits the road for the second consecutive weekend starting Friday as it begins a three-game set at Virginia Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.